Communicating between networks, and in particular between a wide area network (“WAN”) and a short distance wireless network, is important.
An operator of a WAN adjusts network configuration and operation in order to maximize usage and accessibility of WAN network services. Likewise, an operator of a short distance wireless network, which is coupled to a WAN, desires to maximize the availability of WAN network services to the short distance wireless network operator, and in particular to short distance wireless network applications.
Similarly, a WAN may be interested in information and/or services provided by a short distance wireless network. Thus, it is desirable to enhance the communication between a WAN and a short distance wireless network in order to maximize the availability and usage of each network's services.
However, a short distance wireless network that communicates with a WAN is dynamically assigned an address by the WAN. Typically, whenever a wireless communication link is established between a WAN and a short distance wireless network, the WAN assigns a source address for the short distance wireless network to use when generating messages to the WAN. For example, a terminal in a short distance wireless network may be interested in accessing a web site on a server in the WAN. Typically, the terminal will use the recently assigned source address to create a session for generating messages between the server and the terminal. After initiating a session, the server will maintain the session by recognizing and responding the messages having the assigned source address.
Yet, whenever the wireless communication link between a WAN and short distance wireless network is temporarily disconnected, another source address, which is likely different than the previous source address, is assigned to the short distance wireless network. When devices and/or terminals in the short distance wireless network attempt to continue communicating with the WAN, they will use the newly assigned source address in generating messages to components of the WAN, such as a WAN server. Messages that a terminal will transmit towards a WAN server will now be seen by the WAN server as having a new source address and port number, and therefore will be discarded silently by the server without a user knowing of the failing communication. The terminal will retransmit until the terminal exhausts retry attempts. This failing communication may take over 20 minutes from the first sent attempt to an abort, and possibly much longer.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a device, system, method and computer readable medium that enhances communication between a WAN and a short distance wireless network. It is further desirable to provide a device, system, method and computer readable medium that allows for fast recovery of a temporary disconnection of communication between a device in a short distance wireless network and a WAN.